Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 16 : Expelled Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Pooja Pal on Saturday met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his official residence in Lucknow.
The meeting comes after Pal was expelled from the Samajwadi Party by Chief Akhilesh Yadav for praising CM Yogi Adityanath during the UP Assembly session.
Samajwadi Party expelled her from the party, citing anti-party activities and indiscipline.
"You have carried out anti-party activities, and even after being warned, you did not stop these activities, due to which the party has suffered a lot. The work done by you is anti-party and a serious act of indiscipline. Hence, you are expelled from Samajwadi Party with immediate effect," read the letter of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav addressed to Pooja Pal.
Earlier, while speaking in the UP Assembly, Pooja Pal, whose husband Raju Pal was shot dead by Atiq Ahmed and his associate, thanked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the zero-tolerance policy against crime that improved law and order in the state.
The SP MLA said that the UP CM gave her justice by bringing in policies like zero tolerance that led to the killing of criminals like Atiq Ahmed.
Speaking at the Assembly's 24-hour marathon discussion on 'Vision Document 2047,' Pooja Pal said, "Everyone knows who murdered my husband (Raju Pal). I want to thank the Chief Minister for bringing me justice and hearing me when nobody else did. The CM gave justice to many other women like me in Prayagraj by bringing in policies like zero tolerance that led to the killing of criminals like Atiq Ahmed. Today, the entire state looks at the CM with trust," she said.
Praising CM Yogi, she said, "Mere pati ke hatyare Atiq Ahmed ko Mukhya Mantri ne mitti mein milaane ka kaam kiya' (The Chief Minister has buried my husband's murderer Atiq Ahmed."
She further added," I raised my voice when I saw that no one wanted to fight against criminals like Atiq Ahmed. When I started getting exhausted with this fight, CM Yogi Adityanath gave me justice."
BSP MLA Raju Pal was shot dead in Prayagraj in 2005, days after his wedding with Pooja Pal. In February 2023, Umesh Pal, a key witness to the murder, was shot dead in Prayagraj's Sulem Saray area.
The expulsion of Pooja Pal for alleged anti-party activities and indiscipline drew sharp criticism from several Uttar Pradesh ministers, who accused the party of being intolerant of differing views and disrespectful towards women.